LC 5053 
.B7 14 
1831 
Set 1 




THE CONSTITUTION 



BY-LAWS 



/ 

INFANT SCHOOL SOCIETY 



THE CITY OF BOSTON, 



WITH THE 



THIRD ANNUAL. REPORT. 



Instituted April 8, 1828. Incorporated Feb. 27, 1829. 



fjouton: 

T. R. MARVIN, PRINTER, 24, CONGRESS STREET. 

1831. 



.J5~i 



■r:k. 



mwA^"^ s(0]jc©©L §©S2i^^ 

OF THE CITY OF BOSTON. 



CONSTITUTION. 



Article 1. The name shall be " The Infant School Society 
OF THE City of Boston." 

Art. 2. The object of this Society shall be to establish schools, 
where the infant children of the poor of this city may be taught 
various branches of useful knowledge. Especially, to instil into their 
tender minds moral and religious instruction. 

Art. 3. The members shall pay an arinual subscription of not 
less than one dollar, or a life subscription of twenty dollars. 

Art. 4. The direction of the Society shall be vested in a First 
and Second Directress, Recording and Corresponding Secretary, 
Treasurer, and twenty-five Managers. They shall have power to 
make By-laws for their own government, and that of the schools, 
and to till their own vacancies. Seven shall constitute a quorum. 

Art. 5. The First Directress, and in her absence the Second 
Directress, shall preside in all meetings of the Board, and appoint 
special meetings when necessary. 

The Recording Secretary shall notify all meetings of the Society, 
keep minutes of those meetings, and report their proceedings. 

The Corresponding Secretary shall write and answer all letters 
relative to the business of the Society, and keep a copy of the same, 
as well as of letters received. 

The Treasurer shall keep an accurate register of the names of 
subscribers and donors, see that all monies are collected, and render 
a statement of receipts and expenditures at the annual meeting of the 
Society ; having previously submitted her accounts to an Auditor, 
who shall be annually chosen. 

No monies shall be paid except by order of the First or Second 
Directress. 



The Managers shall have the general superintendence of the 
concerns of the schools, solicit funds, visit parents, engage scholars, 
and hold a monthly meeting with the other officers for the transaction 
of business. 

Art. G. The Board of Managers shall annually appoint five 
gentlemen, w^ith whom to consult on such matters relative to its 
concerns, as may require advice and assistance. 

Art. 7. The annual meeting shall be held on the first Tuesday 
in April, for the choice of officers and the transaction of other 
business. The officers to be chosen by ballot. 

Art. 8. No alteration shall be made in this Constitution, except 
by a vote of two thirds of the members present at an annual meeting 
of the Society. 



OFFICERS FOR 1831. 

Mrs. HOWARD MALCOxM, First Directress. 
Mrs. henry HALL, Second Directress. 
Mrs. THOMAS A. DAVIS, Corresponding Secretary. 
Miss CATHARINE MEARS, Recording Secretary. 
Miss MARY ANiN CODMAN, Treasurer. 



RIANAGERS. 



Mrs. Mary L. O'Brien, 
Mrs. HoKATio M. Willis, 
Mrs. Wm. B. Reynolds, 
Mrs. Stephen Codman, 
Mrs. Wm. T. Eustis, 
Mrs. Henry Hall, 
Mrs. Elias Cornelius, 
Mrs. Charles Forbes, 
Mrs. Norman Seaver, 
Mrs. Thomas A. Davis, 
Mrs. Louis DwiGHT, 
Mrs. Wm. Reynolds, 
Mrs. Alonzo Potter, 



Mrs. Lucius Bolles, 
Mrs. Abbot Lawrence, 

Mrs. COKNELIUS DriSCOLL, 

Mrs. Nathan Surry, 
Mrs. Howard JVJalcom, 
Miss Sarah S. Tappan, 
Miss Catharine Mears, 
Miss Mary Ann Codman, 
Miss M/vrtha Evarts, 
Miss Charlotte Newton, 
Miss Adelaide Wells, 
Miss Maria M. Stocker. 



BOARD OF ADVISERS. 
Hon. SAMUEL HUBBARD, 
Hon. HEMAN LINCOLN, 

EDWARD TUCKERMAN, Esq. 

JOHN TAPPAN, Esq. 

WILLIAM B. REYNOLDS, Esq. 

AUDITOR. 
HENRY HILL, Esq. 

PHYSICIANS. 
Doct. EDWARD REYNOLDS, 
Doct. CALEB H. SNOW. 



BY-L.AWS. 

Rule 1. The schools of this Society shall be opened for 
instruction, during the summer months, at half past 8 o'clock, 
A. M. and closed at twelve ; from nine to tAvelve through the 
other months ; and from two till five, P. M. throughout the 
year. 

Rule 2. These schools shall be opened with prayer every 
morning ; the children all kneeling and repeating appropriate 
words, which shall be pronounced audibly by one of the elder 
boys or girls from the rostrum. After rising, all shall unite 
in a morning hymn of praise. 

Rule 3. It shall be the duty of the Instructresses to pre- 
serve order, regulate the lessons of the schools, and to have 
charge of all the articles furnished by the Society. 

Rule 4. It shall be the duty of the Assistants to have the 
room in readiness for the reception of the children, one hour 
previous to the time specified for commencing instruction ; to 
have special charge of the younger children in the class-room, 
one hour in the morning, and to render all the assistance in 
their power to the Instructresses. It shall also be their duty 
to keep the room thoroughly clean. 

Rule 5. New scholars may be admitted on the first Mon- 
day in every month, and the parents are expected to pay two 
cents per week, or twenty-five cents per quarter. If any 
child is later in attendance than a half hour after the opening 
of the school it may be sent home. If a child is absent for a 
iceek^ and no satisfactory reason assigned to the Instructress, 
it shall not be permitted to return to the school. 

Rule 6. Parents are required to send their children clean 
washed, and their clothes well mended. 

Rule 7. Children over eighteen months and under four 
years, may be received into these schools, provided they be 
free from all contagious disorders ; but no child shall be 
1* 



6 

admitted, unless it has passed through the vaccine disease, or 
whose parents or guardians will not consent to its immediate 
vaccination, upon introduction to the establishment. 

Rule 9. The Board of Managers shall hold their meetings 
for business the first Thursday of every month, whicli meet- 
ings shall be opened with prayer. 

Rule 10. At the monthly meetings, four Managers shall 
be appointed, whose duty it will be, to visit the schools four 
days or more in a week daring the month, to superintend their 
general interests, and to visit the parents of the children as 
often as it may be deemed expedient. They shall have power 
also to furnish whatever is requisite for the accommodation or 
improvement of the scholars ; shall be required to keep a 
regular account of the receipts and expenditures of the 
schools ; to pay over any remaining funds to the Treasurer ; 
and to make a full report of their proceedings to the Board. 

It is expected that one of the acting Managers will be 
present on the first Monday morning of every month, to 
receive new scholars ; to register their names and places of 
abode ; also, to receive the money from the children. They 
must also feel it their duty to answer all inquiries from the 
visitors respecting the schools, that the Instructresses may not 
be interrupted. 

Rule 11. The children may be allowed to sew two after- 
noons in a week, as a reward for good behaviour. 

Any addition or alteration may be made in these By-laws 
by a vote of two thirds of the Managers, 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



Another year of our existence as a Society, has 
passed away — and while we recount the doings of the 
year, we would also recount its mercies ; acknowledging 
with gratitude our obligations to that superintending Pro- 
vidence, by whose care we live, and to whom we have 
looked for wisdom to plan and strength to execute. We 
trust that the smile of divine approbation has blest this 
undertaking — proving that it is not a vain thing to expend 
time, and money, and strength, in the mental and moral 
cultivation of the infant mind. Our interest in this work 
has not subsided with the novelty ; it appears to us now, 
as it ever has, an undertaking fraught with momentous 
consequences to the rising generation. 

When this Society was formed, we hoped to provide an 
asylum for the infant children of the poor, where they 
might not only be safe from danger and from the contami- 
nation of vice, but be instructed in " those things which 
pertain to the life that now is, and that which is to come" 
— we hoped to persuade their poor mothers to intrust 
them to our care — we hoped to find a teacher adequate to 
the task — we hoped to find patrons willing to support the 
undertaking — and, above all, we hoped to have the bles- 
sing of God, without which the whole array of instrumen- 
tality would have been powerless. 



8 

These hopes have been more than realized. At the 
commencement of the first year, we established School 
No. 1, in Bedford street ; the second year, School No. 2, 
in Stillman street. Most gladly would we have added a 
third, during the past year, had the state of our funds per- 
mitted. An infant school is greatly needed in the west 
part of the city ; but your committee have been compelled 
to leave this important field neglected ; and while the 
north, south, and east sections of the city have each an 
asylum for their little ones, this portion is entirely des- 
titute. 

Another subject of regret to your committee, is, that 
they were obliged to decline the application which was 
made to them to take charge of the colored infant school. 
This school was established about eight months ago, 
through the efforts of a few individuals not connected with 
this Board. Their funds not being sufl5cient to defray the 
expense of the school for more than six months, applica- 
tion was made to your committee to take it under their 
care. We should most cheerfully have undertaken the 
additional labor, if we had had any means of sustaining 
the additional expense. The continuance of this school 
is consequently very uncertain — depending only on the 
benevolence of individuals. 

Without pausing longer to regret what we have not 
done, we will proceed to state what we have done. School 
No. 1, in Bedford street, is still under the care of its first 
teacher, and her unwearied efforts have been continued 
for its prosperity and improvement. One hundred and 
fifty-four children have been admitted during the year. 
Forty-one have left ; some on account of their parents' 
removing to another part of the city, and some to go to 
the primary schools. There are sixty-four now on the list, 
and the average attendance is fifty-four. If we may judge 
from the number of visitors, it is still a favorite with the 



public. If we may judge from the number of schools 
which have been established in the city, and in various 
parts of the country, in consequence of these visits, we 
must conclude that its influence has been very extensive. 
We cannot say precisely how many schools have been thus 
formed, but the number is certainly large. Twenty young 
ladies, from different parts of the State, have, during the 
year, come into the school, and spent generally two or 
three weeks, for the purpose of becoming acquainted with 
the system, and introducing it into their respective towns. 

The contributors to this benevolent undertaking have 
experienced an unlooked for exemplification of the pro- 
mise, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find 
it after many days." The infant school system was 
designed for the poor, and for them only was it introduced 
into this city ; but the discovery has been made, that it is 
equally adapted to the rich. There is now hardly a neigh- 
borhood which has not its private infant school. Thus 
the efforts which they have made for the children of the 
poor, have returned in blessings on their own. 

School No. 2, in Stillman street^ has been in operation 
eighteen months. It is in a flourishing condition, and has 
eighty-two scholars. Two hundred and eighty-seven have 
been admitted since its commencement ; two hundred and 
three have left, and four have died. The cause of so 
many removals will be found chiefly in the changing popu- 
lation from which our schools are taken. Those who are 
conversant with the poor, are aware how often they change 
their residence. This is one of our greatest difficulties ; 
it often happens that we do not keep our children long 
enough to do them essential good, before their parents 
remove to some other part of the city. Another detrimen- 
tal consequence is, that we have a constant accession of 
new scholars, which is a great impediment to good order. 
To relieve this difficulty in some degree, the Managers 



10 

have recently passed a resolution to admit children only 
on the first Monday in every month. 

One of those who died, vi^as Francis Wayland Shipley — 
the most interesting and promising child in this school. 
He was four years old, and had been in school nearly a 
year. By his intelligence and amiable behavior, he had 
greatly endeared himself to his teachers, and often attracted 
the favorable notice of visitors. There is reason to believe 
that the religious instruction which he received at this 
school, was not only understood, but felt by him. The 
devotional manner in which he joined in repeating and 
singing the little hymns, was very affecting to those who 
observed him. His mother says this was his favorite 
employment at home. He often said to his teacher, " I 
mean to grow up a good man, like my father." He died 
of the croup, after a few days' illness. A short time before 
his death, his father said to him, " Francis, are you willing 
to leave your father and mother and your little sister, to 
go and be with God in heaven ?" He instantly replied, 
" Yes, sir, if God tvants me to go.'^ 

The voice of this interesting child is no longer heard 
in our school, but he has doubtless exchanged his little 
hymns, and his little companions, for the nobler praises of 
the infant choir in heaven. Such instances afford most 
gratifying evidence of the adaptation of the infant school 
system to the early developement of the moral and intellec- 
tual powers. 

There have been many interesting cases of reformation 
in both schools. Children who were at first so headstrong 
and passionate as to be almost unmanageable, have become 
in a short time, gentle and happy. Some who seemed at 
first to be perfectly stupid, have been by degrees drawn 
out, and are now among our brightest and best. 

A leading aim with our teachers is, to give the children 
clear ideas of right and wrong, and thus to govern them 



11 

through the medium of conscience. One instance of the 
power of conscience may be mentioned. One morning, 
while the children were on the gallery, the teacher told 
them that if any were inattentive, or disobedient during 
the forenoon, they should not go out with the others at 
recess. When play-time came, the school was dismissed 
as usual — but four little girls, condemned by no one but 
themselves, voluntarily remained behind, and with down- 
cast looks, and one or two in tears, went and sat down in 
a corner of the room. It was truly affecting to look at the 
self-convicted little rebels in their voluntary banishment — 
and still more interesting to contemplate the probable 
results of this early triumph of conscience. 

One day, at intermission, two little boys were quarrel- 
ling ; one of the others observing it, went up to them, and 
looking very earnestly at them said, " It is wicked to 
quarrel — if you quarrel, you will not go to heaven." 

At another time, a little boy did something wrong, for 
which he was reproved by the teacher ; his little brother, 
who sat next to him, listened attentively to what was said, 
and then remarked, " Henry did not pray this morning." 

It has been objected to our infant schools, that they 
unfit the children for the primary schools ; that is, that we 
have such a variety of lessons, and so much amusement 
blended with them, that when the children go into the 
primary schools, where they have nothing to study but the 
spelling book and the elements of arithmetic, and nothing 
to do, but "sit still on a bench" — they are uneasy and 
troublesome. Now your committee are of opinion that 
this only proves that the primary school system is defective, 
and would be greatly improved by introducing a part of 
the infant school exercises. We believe that young chil- 
dren should not be confined long to one posture, nor their 
minds to one subject ; and that instead of trying to subdue 



12 

their restless activity, it is better to provide systematic 
exercise for it. 

Complaint has also been made that we teach our chil- 
dren a great many unnecessary things, and are less atten- 
tive to the more important branches of reading and spel- 
ling. It should be remembered that these are infant 
schools, and the main object is to make them better and 
happiei- — all the knowledge they acquire, is so much 
gained from what has hitherto been considered the waste 
years of human life. We believe, however, it will be 
found, that children who remain for any considerable time 
in our schools, advance as fast in reading, as those of the 
same age in other schools. Several of our scholars have 
learned to read with facility in the New Testament, and 
some of the parents find it unnecessary to send them to 
the primary school at all, as they are already qualified to 
enter the grammar schools. It is worthy of remark, that 
those who can read are more interested in the New Testa- 
ment than any other book — because they find the stories 
there which they learnt on the scripture cards. 

Though we do not neglect reading and spelling, we do 
not think it necessary to give them a very prominent place, 
for these are the principal studies of the primary schools. 
We aim to make them intelligent — to present the first 
principles of the various kinds of knowledge in such a 
pleasing form, as to excite a relish for learning, which may 
lead them to pursue it in after life. We cannot agree 
with those who think it useless to teach these things to the 
children of the poor. 'If it be important for others, it is 
for them — for they need the elevation which knowledge 
gives. We are familiar with the fact that very many of 
the great and good men, whose labors have blest the world, 
were the children of the poor. If some one had not 
thought worth while to teach them something besides 



reading and spelling, their talents would have been lost, 
and their names have remained in oblivion. 

The method of giving instruction by question and 
answer, and allowing them to answer simultaneously, has 
a happy effect in keeping up their attention — and the 
familiarity with which they are allowed to make remarks 
and ask questions, frequently leads to conversations of an 
interesting character. The teacher at Bedford street 
school was one day questioning the children on the orrery, 
and asked them who made the sun, moon and stars, which 
the orrery represented ? They instantly replied, " God." 
She then said, " Who made this ?" pointing to the orrery. 
The answer was, " a man ;" and one of the children 
added, " God gave man the loood to make it of." 

Only one more topic remains to be presented at this 
time — one of vital importance to every charitable society — 
the state of the funds. The particulars respecting receipts 
and expenditures, the Treasurer's Report will disclose. 
The whole amount of receipts for the past year, including 
donations, subscriptions, and the avails of the fair, is 
$1,189 84. The expenditures, |1,026 38. Finding the 
amount of subscriptions utterly inadequate to meet the 
expenses of the schools, your committee concluded to 
accept the invitation of the Board of the other Infant 
School Society, to join with them in a fair. This fair 
was held in May ; the avails were equally divided, and 
amounted to $837 50 for each Society. 

It is evident, however, that fairs are a precarious 
dependence — and it is doubtful whether it will be expe- 
dient to resort to this method again. There is no alterna- 
tive but to make a special effort to increase the number of 
our annual subscribers. We are encouraged to do this by 
two considerations — the goodness of the cause, and the 
benevolence of those to whom we appeal. We do not (as 
we did three years ago) present a petition to the ladies of 
3 



14 

this city to aid in trying an experiment — the experiment 
has been tried ; and the whole community are eye- 
witnesses of its complete success. And now, may we not 
indulge the confident expectation that this undertaking 
will be still sustained, and that we shall be enabled to 
support the schools now under our care, and be furnished 
with the means of establishing another ? 

The infant school societies of New York and Philadel- 
phia, have received munificent legacies from benevolent 
individuals, which have greatly encouraged and assisted 
them. We hope these noble examples will be followed 
here ; and that, in the appropriations for the various 
benevolent objects of the day, the infant schools will not 
be forgotten. Nor can we be satisfied only to ask of you 
pecuniary aid — we ask your prayers ; for we wish ever to 
feel, that all our dependence is on God, and that with the 
most ample resources, we could do nothing without His 
blessing. May these schools ever be, what they were 
designed to be — nurseries o^ 'piety as well as oi knowledge. 



Infant School Society of the City of Boston, in account 
cur rent, with M. A. Codman, Treasurer. 

1830. dT. 

May 1. To amount paid to Principals,* . . . $464 58 

" " Assistants, ... 281 12 

" " for rent of school rooms, 235 00 

Commission on collecting, ... 7 27 

Amount paid for incidental expenses, 38 41 



1,026 38 

Balance to new account, 163 4g 



$1,189 84 



1830. Cr. 

May 1. By balance from former Treasurer, $141 93 

Amount received from subscriptions, 188 50 
" " " donations, . 19 GQ 

Balance of income from Bedford and 

Stillman street schools, .... 42 39 



Amount received from Messrs. Edw. 

and Win. B. Eeynolds, on account 

of their notes, at sundry times, . 737 50 
Amount of interest received from Do. 

from said notes, 51 86 

Interest on $200 deposited in the City 

Bank, 8 00 



250 55 



797 36 



,189 84 



DISPOSABLE FUND. 

Loaned Messrs. Edw. and Wm. B. Reynolds, .... $500 00 
Deposited in the City Bank, 200 00 



$700 00 
Errors excepted, 

M. A. CODMAN, Treasurer. 
Boston, April 5, 1831. 



I certify that 1 have examined the foregoing- account, which corresponds 
'' *' "^ ' ' ' cast and properh' vouchei' 

[EWRY HILL, Auditor. 



with the books of tlie Treasurer, and is correctly cast and properly vouched. 



*The Principala now receive $300 per annum, and furnish their own Assistants. 



16 



L-IFE SUBSCRIBERS. 



Mrs. Natlian Appleton, Mrs. Henry Hi 



E. Burgess, 
C. Coflman, 
Samuel Dorr, 
Samuel Green, 
Henry Hall, 



Amos Lawrence, 
William Lee, 
Edmund Munroe, 
Howard Ma loom, 
R. D. C. Merry, 



Mrs. John Tappan, 
'' E. Tuckerman, 
" E. Thurston, 

Miss H. P. Tuckerman. 



ANNUAL SUBSCRIBERS. 



Mrs. Thomas Appleton, 

Miss Ann Applelon, 

Mrs. W. T. Andrews, 
" Osmyn Brewster, 
'' Charles Bowers, 

Miss E. Ballard, 

Mrs. Joseph Balch, 
" Amory Bell, 

Miss A. Billings, 

Mrs. Burr, 
'' Joseph Ballister, 
" Lucius Bolles, 
" Joshua Clapp, 
" Elizabeth Cook, 
*' Nathaniel R. Cobb, 
" Stephen Codman, 
" Edward Coverly, 
" Wells Coverly, 

Miss M. A. Codman, 

Mrs. Thomas A. Davis, 
'< Ezra Dyer, 
" Samuel Dana, 
" F. W. Dana, 
" John Derby, 
" Abraham A. Dame, 
" James Davis, 
" Cornelius Driscoll, 
" Louis Dwight, 
" E. Eaton, 
" Samuel Eveleth, 
" Wm. T. Euslis, 
<' Caleb Eddy, 
" Jonathan French, 

Miss Susan Fowie, 
<' C. Edmands, 

Mrs. John French, 
" Charles Forbes, 
" J. Fenno, 
<' Nathan Gurney, 
'' E. Guild, 
'' Daniel K. Griggs, 

Miss A. Hill, 
" E.M.Hill, 

Mrs. Henry Homes, 



Mrs. Daniel Hammond, 


Mrs. 


" Calvin Hr:ven, 


" 


*' Albert Hobart, 


« 


" Lvdia Head, 


Miss 


" Charles Hazen, 


Mrs. 


" Galen Holmes, 


u 


" Samuel Hubbard, 


a 


" Deming Jarvis, 


Miss 


'/ John B. Jones, 


Mrs. 


Miss A. Jones, 


u 


Mrs. Joseph Jenkins, 


*< 


" Samuel Johnson, 


ti 


" Benjamin Joy, 


a 


. '' . Abbot Lawrence, 


<' 


" Wm. G. Lambert, 


i< 


" Heman Lincoln, 


Miss 


" Mary Larkin, 


u 


'' Charles Lyman, 


Mrs. 


Miss E. Lane, ' 


'^ 


'' Mary Mellidge, 


Miss 


Mrs. Benj<imin Muzzy, 
" McLellan, 


Mrs. 


" James Means, 


Miss 


" Lowell Mason, 


Mrs. 


*' Charles Macomber 


, Miss 


Miss C. R. Mears, 


Mrs. 


Mrs. Elizabeth Milner, 


'< 


" Isaac Means, 


ei 


Miss Ruth Mackay, 


Miss 


Mrs. Nancv Morrison, 


Mrs. 


" Thaddeus Nichols, 


" 


" Daniel Noyes, 


Cl 


Miss C. Newton, 


Miss 


Mrs. E. Nickerson, 


Mrs. 


" L. Otis, 


u 


" M. L. O'Brien, 


<•' 


" Henry J. Oliver, 


Miss 


" Edward Oliver, 


" 


" Edward Phillips, 


Mrs. 


" Parker H. Pierce, 


(C 


" Alonzo Potter, 


'I 


" Lemuel Pope, 


i' 


" Ebenezer Parker, 


il 


" John C. Proctor, 





Edward D. Peters, 
Read, 
R. Robbins, 
E. Rodgers, 
William Re3-nolds, 
W^m. B. Reynolds, 
Edward Reynolds, 
Catharine Russell, 
Stephen Rhoades, 
Peter Ripley, 
Isaac Scholfield, 
Catharine SchoUey, 
J. Swell, 

Bradford Sumner, 
Norman Seaver, 
M. M. Stocker, 
S. Stocker, 
William W. Stone, 
C. Snelling, 
A. Tileston, 
A. H. Twombly, . 
Abigail Thompson, 
Louisa Thompson, 
Lyman Tiffany, 
H. P. Tuckerman, 
Enoch Train, 
Wilhington, 
Seth Wells, 
Adelaide Wells, 
Elijah Williams, 
Horatio M. Willis, 
S. C. W^ashburn, 

A. Wilber, 
James Weld, 
Daniel P. Wood, 
Nathaniel W^illis, 
Catharine Walley, 
M. W'ard, 

Abial Washburn. 

B. B. Wisner, 
S. H. Walley, 
Wright, 

Otis Vina). 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 900 452 1 # 




